Lawmen hope display will warn people of hot car dangers

Visitors to the Okaloosa Courthouse Annex Extension on Lewis Turner Boulevard Monday look at a sheriff's car containing a doll and a large thermometer. The exhibit, which will be up all week, is meant to call attention to the dangers of leaving children and pets inside of hot vehicles.

DEVON RAVINE / Daily News

By WENDY VICTORA / Daily News

Published: Monday, July 28, 2014 at 04:25 PM.

Visitors to the Okaloosa County Courthouse Annex Extension this week will be greeted with a strong reminder of the dangers of leaving animals and children in hot cars.

A patrol car is parked at the entrance to the judicial center with large thermometer inside. A doll is strapped into a car seat next to the thermometer, while a stuffed dog is in the driver’s seat.

On Monday, predicted to be one of the hottest days this week, temperatures inside the car climbed to 120 degrees, according to Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Steve Baldwin.

“I don’t think people realize how hot it gets,” he said. “We don’t want to lose a child. We don’t want to lose a pet.”

Though it has been a relatively cool summer, authorities have already charged four people after finding young children or animals in closed cars.

Meteorologist Jason Beaman, with the National Weather Service in Mobile, said a cold front will lower temperatures and humidity beginning Tuesday and extending into the middle of the week.

But those cooler temperatures can still have deadly consequences inside of a closed car.

“It’s very dangerous to leave anything unattended,” Beaman said. “Very bad things happen in short order because the temperature does rise so fast.”

A history of incidents:

At least four people locally have been charged with leaving children or animals in hot cars in the last few months.

May 11: A 25-year-old Fort Walton Beach woman was charged with felony child abuse, after she allegedly went inside a store to shoplift, leaving her 2-year-old in a closed car for more than 90 minutes. The child was “sweating profusely” and the windows were rolled up, according to her arrest report.

June 18: A 21-year-old woman was charged with tormenting animals in a cruel or inhumane way after leaving two dogs in her vehicle while working in Miramar Beach. The deputy who freed the “heavily panting” dogs said opening the car door was similar to what you would feel opening an oven door.

June 26: A Crestview woman was charged with felony cruelty to animals after leaving her dog in the car for 13 hours while she shopped at Walmart. She left the car running, but the air conditioner was not working when police arrived. The dog died.

July 7: A 29-year-old Tennessee woman was charged with child abuse after leaving her 4-year-old asleep in a car while she browsed for jewelry at a Destin car. The child was in the hot car for an estimated 20 minutes and was not injured.

Visitors to the Okaloosa County Courthouse Annex Extension this week will be greeted with a strong reminder of the dangers of leaving animals and children in hot cars.

A patrol car is parked at the entrance to the judicial center with large thermometer inside. A doll is strapped into a car seat next to the thermometer, while a stuffed dog is in the driver’s seat.

On Monday, predicted to be one of the hottest days this week, temperatures inside the car climbed to 120 degrees, according to Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Steve Baldwin.

“I don’t think people realize how hot it gets,” he said. “We don’t want to lose a child. We don’t want to lose a pet.”

Though it has been a relatively cool summer, authorities have already charged four people after finding young children or animals in closed cars.

Meteorologist Jason Beaman, with the National Weather Service in Mobile, said a cold front will lower temperatures and humidity beginning Tuesday and extending into the middle of the week.

But those cooler temperatures can still have deadly consequences inside of a closed car.

“It’s very dangerous to leave anything unattended,” Beaman said. “Very bad things happen in short order because the temperature does rise so fast.”

A history of incidents:

At least four people locally have been charged with leaving children or animals in hot cars in the last few months.

May 11: A 25-year-old Fort Walton Beach woman was charged with felony child abuse, after she allegedly went inside a store to shoplift, leaving her 2-year-old in a closed car for more than 90 minutes. The child was “sweating profusely” and the windows were rolled up, according to her arrest report.

June 18: A 21-year-old woman was charged with tormenting animals in a cruel or inhumane way after leaving two dogs in her vehicle while working in Miramar Beach. The deputy who freed the “heavily panting” dogs said opening the car door was similar to what you would feel opening an oven door.

June 26: A Crestview woman was charged with felony cruelty to animals after leaving her dog in the car for 13 hours while she shopped at Walmart. She left the car running, but the air conditioner was not working when police arrived. The dog died.

July 7: A 29-year-old Tennessee woman was charged with child abuse after leaving her 4-year-old asleep in a car while she browsed for jewelry at a Destin car. The child was in the hot car for an estimated 20 minutes and was not injured.